CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When most Americans were worrying about the imagined consequences of Y2K a decade ago, there were a handful of businesses thinking about an arcane idea called sustainability.

Most of them were entrepreneurs, people on the fringes of business who had an idea they could cut waste or use fewer resources to make their products.

"They wanted to make a difference," said Holly Harlan, head of a business network that she founded in 2000 called Entrepreneurs for Sustainability, or E4S.

"When we started, the only people interested in zero waste and sustainability were small companies," Harlan said in an interview this week at the close of the second annual Sustainable Cleveland 2019 at Cleveland Public Hall.

Today E4S is hardly a network only for entrepreneurs. E4S has engaged some of the region's largest businesses, including Forest City Enterprises and Eaton Corp.

And people who don't own or manage any business show up at the monthly E4S meetings at the Great Lakes Brewery, a company that began working toward sustainability years ago.

"I think business is well on its way," Harlan said about the wave of businesses both large and small that now champion sustainable practices.

Fifty companies have "graduated" from E4S programs, which consist largely of peer-based instruction and assistance.

Some of those companies spent a few minutes addressing the nearly 600 people who participated in this year's summit.

The city of Cleveland organized the summit with significant corporate and foundation support and volunteer time from scores of people like Harlan, who has worked with businesses for 30 years.

The testimonials from the E4S graduates combined altruism with hard cash savings.

Here are some of the companies and their accomplishments:

•Hospice of Western Reserve began its sustainability project a year ago and is on its way to a 40 percent reduction in waste and a 20 percent reduction in utility bills.

"We set a goal of zero waste by 2019," said Kathy Gatto, chair of the company's green team. A challenge, she said is to come up with a common message to staff that easily integrates sustainable practices into day-to-day operations.

•Forest City Enterprises, an $11.8 billion national real estate development company with properties from Boston to Hawaii, has set a target of producing zero waste by 2019. Forest City incorporated sustainability into its business strategies five years ago, and four employees work on the issue full time.

"We have a couple hundred properties across the country," said Jill Ziegler, sustainability program manager. "And we have set goal of . . . (up to) 5 percent energy reduction by 2019. It will save $1 million."

•Eaton Corp., a diversified power management company serving construction, aerospace and vehicular industries, has committed to reducing its total energy use by 18 percent by 2012 and by 25 percent by 2016.

The company is also working with its 30,000 suppliers to adopt sustainable practices.

"Eaton is integrating sustainability throughout its value chain," said Monica Alston, corporate director of environment, health and safety. "We make products that help our customers save energy. Eaton manufactures the technology that supports Ford Motor Co.'s new high-tech engines.

•Bon Appetite Management Co. operates cafeterias at Ohio colleges, including Oberlin and Case Western Reserve University. The company is committed to buying locally.

"We spend over $2 million per year on local products, and that drives it back into the local economy," said Daniel Farrell, district manager.

"Six years ago, we built on a brownfield," said Bill Oatey, part-owner. "It is Leed-certified. We included an energy management system, energy efficient lighting and a lot of skylights. We estimate we are saving about $75,000 per year.

"We also put in a 5,000-gallon cistern tank to capture rain water from the roof. We use that to flush toilets and for irrigation."

"We don't have a typical client," said Laura Steinbrink, president. "Every building is different. When I look at our customers who have made investments of $50,000 to $250,000 for energy efficiency measures, they have a 12 to18-month payback -- and annual savings exceed $150,000."

The company is now moving into residential markets.

"We all used to think that food, water and shelter were basic needs," Steinbrink said. "We cannot deny any more that energy is a basic need. We are working to create new market areas for companies like Green Street Solutions and other energy auditors."

•Cleveland's Office of Sustainability does more than sponsor Sustainable Cleveland 2019, said Jenita McGowan, sustainability manager.

The office is involved in the city's efforts to convert street lighting to LED high-tech bulbs, the composting facility to handle food waste from the West Side Market and curbside recycling, she said.

Sustainable Cleveland 2019 wants to take the same concepts that businesses like these have discovered and re-invent the region's economy.

There are signs of that already, Harlan said.

"There are 160,000 organizations in Northeast Ohio," she said. "What if all of them do a 'Dumpster dive' and set a goal for zero waste? That alone would create new business, putting sustainability to work."

Many companies are already working toward something even more audacious, she said: 100 percent renewable energy.

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